The Danvers Historical Society hosts a wide range of topics during its monthly speaker series. Our monthly Speaker Series welcomes back author Katherine Anderson for her new presentation:

Castle on the Hill: A Brief History of Danvers State Hospital and Mental Healthcare in Massachusetts.

An overview of the rise and fall of one of the most significant landmarks in mental health history. Danvers State Hospital, once a premier institution for the treatment of mental illness, has become a pop culture horror icon, the embodiment of the modern snake pit and the birthplace of the prefrontal lobotomy. However, its legacy stretches far beyond its role in literature and film, and its impact on the evolution of mental health continues even today.